Editor’s Note: This whiskey was provided to us as a review sample by Laws Whiskey House. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review. It should also be noted that by clicking the buy link towards the bottom of this review our site receives a small referral payment which helps to support, but not influence, our editorial and other costs.
Eight years ago, Laws Whiskey House in Denver launched the first bottled-in-bond whiskey in Colorado. Now on the sixth batch of their Four Grain Bourbon, this whiskey doubles the mandatory aging requirements. That’s right, the Four Grain Bourbon is matured for eight years! That’s a lot of time in a federally bonded warehouse.
Because bottled-in-bond whiskey has to be distilled by one distiller in one season, you can find the Four Grain Bourbon Batch 6 with two dictated labels. #6-S and #6-F for spring or fall. Either way both labels were distilled in 2013. There are not a lot of whiskeys with a four grain mash bill on the market. I, myself, love four grain mash bills for their complexity and depth. At Bardstown World’s Top Whiskey Taster Finals, I won the blending round of the competition by using sixty percent four grain whiskey.
The Laws Whiskey House Four Grain Bonded mash bill consists of sixty percent corn, twenty percent heirloom wheat, ten percent heirloom rye, and ten percent heirloom malted barley. The rye and wheat are grown in the San Luis Valley at Cody Family Farms. The wheat is the same Centennial Wheat variety in their limited edition whiskey, which provides “an abundance of fruit and floral notes.” The rye on the other hand provides sweet, nutty, and peppery flavors due to the soil makeup in the valley.
With the heirloom grains, there is sure to be a lot of flavor in the Laws Whiskey Four Grain Bourbon Bonded. Let’s see how the extra four years of aging brings them out.
Laws Bottled in Bond Four Grain Bourbon (image via Laws Whiskey House)
Tasting Notes: Laws Whiskey House Four Grain Bourbon Bonded (Batch 6)
Vital Stats: 50% ABV. 100 proof. Bottled-in-Bond. Mash bill is 60% corn, 20% heirloom wheat, 10% heirloom rye, and 10% heirloom malted barley. 750ml $79.99.
Appearance: Coppery hazelnut
Nose: Only a slight whiff of acetone aggravates the nostrils, but it disappears quickly. The whiskey is a mixture of fruity, floral, and grassy. Tobacco and oak overlay cinnamon sticks and orange oil. In the background, there is a little hint of banana pudding. The middle is abundant with plum, cardamom, and almond extract, which reminds me of my Auntie Kay’s Vinarterta. Near the end of the nose, I am reminded of a nightcap of Port.
Palate: The grain is pronounced giving a soft and velvety mouthfeel. There is a little too much hay throughout the dram. While there is a simple sugary sweetness to it, overall it is more savory. Lots of cinnamon and oak can be found, which adds a tannic taste.
